School bus seat belt study concluded

MONTGOMERY, Alabama (WALA) - Governor Bob Riley’s Seat Belt Study Group is releasing the results from its three-year study Monday. It’s the nation’s longest and most thorough investigation of whether seat belts should be required on school buses.

See the presentation to the study group here .

Governor Riley formed the group in the wake of the deadly school bus crash in Huntsville in November 2006. The crash killed four students when the school bus plunged off an interstate overpass.

In December 2008, a judge settled four wrongful death lawsuits that claimed the students were killed because of negligence.

The pilot project began in November 2007 and was conducted by the University of Alabama’s University Transportation center and the Center for Advanced Public Safety.

Twelve buses in Alabama were equipped with lap/shoulder belts. The study examined how often the seat belts were used, the effects they had on bus discipline and cost-effectiveness.